As election results still held back, Sierra Leone should expect the worst when European Union report comes out a week from now. The report is sure to make, as usual, several recommendations to government for reform of the country’s electoral system.
The reforms, if implemented, will help Sierra Leone move away from election rigging or vote stealing.
EU will however not stop only at recommendations this time, but will take on government by way of sanctions to force government to publish the actual results of the June 24, 2023 elections. Before the report EU has taken tough actions against Sierra Leone government through funding cut.
Sierra Leoneans are worried if any measure tougher that the current one is taken against Sierra Leone, a country whose revenue base has been badly weakened by weak commerce and threats to security.
Sierra Leone’s economy is at a low key at the moment since the incumbent candidate, President Julius Maada Bio was fraudulently declared winner of the June elections. Shops and other key business institutions do not operate as usual.
EU, ahead of 2023 elections, deployed about 100 election observers led by Invin Incir looking at several parametres particularly a serene atmosphere that support a free and fair electoral process.
In a conference held two days after the elections, EU Chief Election Observer made it clear that many voters were scared away from polling centres as teargas canisters and live rounds were fired.
Other international election observer bodies such as ECOWAS (Economic Community Of West African States), Commonwealth, African Union, Carter Centre Foundation and G7+ made similar observations and findings.
Prior to the publication of the report, EU has stopped funding of major projects in Sierra Leone as they do not recognise Bio’s government.
Other international organisations such as World Bank, International Monetary Fund, the United States and United Kingdom have also taken similar actions hitting government very hard.
The USD444m under the Millenium Challenge Corporation remains the most hunted sum as it is badly by government to run the state. Chief Minister, David Moinina Sengeh, a key government emissary has been knocking on the doors of ambassadors and other representatives of international institutions to get the MCC money.
In a recent interview with former US Ambassador, it came out clearly that Sierra Leone had passed all MCC scores but fell short of the free and fair election benchmark.
This means until the actual results are produced, Sierra Leone will not get cooperation from the United States let alone foreign aid. EU is also treading on similar path.
Although Sierra Leone faces tough times, EU will not look back until the right thing is done as attack on Sierra Leone’s democracy is an attack on democracy anywhere in the world.
The inter-governmental body still compels the Chief Electoral Commissioner, Mohamed Kenewui Konneh to publish the results by polling stations and districts or faces possible sanctions.
They are keen on ensuring that the last vote is counted so that the true winner of June election is ascertained.
Konneh heads ECSL (Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone), a body mandated by law to conduct and supervise all public elections in Sierra Leone.
EU Ambassador, Manuel Muller, few days ago, held discussions with the Information Minister ahead of the anticipated report but declined to show the measures EU will take against government when the report comes out.
Although he is under pressure from all sides, Konneh has shown no readiness to release the results as demanded by EU and other election stakeholders.
The deadline issued by EU and other inter-governmental agencies for Konneh to get the results out has been outstepped, an act that amounts to defiance by the elections chief.
Konneh started the defiance two years back after EU accused the agency and other election management bodies of failing to implement recommendations that emanated from the 2018 election.
Political Parties Regulation Commission, the Judiciary and the Sierra Leone Police were also similarly accused as organisations unworthy of trust, an accusation that prompted backlash against EU.
The election chief was bold enough to say that “Sierra Leone is a sovereign state” meaning it could not be controlled by an outsider.
When concerns were raised by the opposition, All People’s Congress that several irregularities had to be addressed before going into the elections, Konneh also retorted that he was at liberty to do what he deems fit since he could not be controlled by anyone.
By putting up such resistance, ECSL chief relied on a frailty contained in the constitutional provision which says “in the exercise of his functions, the Chief Electoral Commissioner is not subject to the direction or control of any person or authority.”
Konneh develops a narrow perception of this clause as nothing in it saves the commissioner from being brought back on track when he goes off track.
Konneh, like any other head of a commission or agency must be checked when he does the wrong thing.
However, he is emboldened by key government officials who threw their weight behind him to legalise what many see as Konneh’s rogue and illegal actions.
Recently, the Speaker of Parliament, Dr Abass Bundu took similar stance when he told Sierra Leoneans that foreigners from outside Africa would not impose a government in Sierra Leone. Those days, he said, had been trampled in the dust of history.
The embattled Speaker made the statement when he was appealing to APC (All People’s Congress) parliamentarians, mayors, chairmen and councillors to take their seats in parliament and councils.
In a related development, SLPP Chairman, Dr Prince Harding also humiliated the international observers who, he referred to as “academic dwarves.”
Although ECSL got enough of EU’s funds to hold a free and fair election, a huge chunk of the money was allegedly siphoned off into other purposes evidenced by printing of sub-standard and faceless voter identity cards.
EU’s tough action against the Bio regime is a follow up to a promise made by Ambassador Manuel Muller who previously assured Sierra Leoneans that EU would tolerate no election rigging in 2023.
He made the assurance in a press briefing held at the Country Lodge in Freetown almost two years to the election.
“Government will make a sad mistake if they hope to rig the elections as the last vote will be counted,” Ambassador Muller assured.
In a bid to realise their objective, Muller and other diplomats in Sierra Leone had been monitoring bye-elections even in remote communities to ensure that the process is fair, transparent and credible.
Ambassador Muller, British High Commissioner, Lisa Chesney, former American Ambassador, David Reimer and Irish Ambassador, Claire Buckley were on the ground in Tonkolili district to monitor a parliamentary bye-election that was conducted there.
Coming events cast their shadows, and those actions were clear signs that EU would not condone an iota of election rigging let alone stealing.
Bio and his men have been keeping a keen eye on the actions of the diplomats and get prepared ahead of time by not even allowing a run off.
Investigation gathered by this press indicates that Bio would not go in for a re-count or re-run but will retain the presidency at all cost against all odds as he capitalised on the seeming weakness of the opposition leader, Dr Samura Kamara.
Through his actions, he fails to understand that quietness, decorum and diplomacy is not weakness but a way of achieving results in a mild but effective way.